In Case You Missed It

The state of Hawaiʻi is considering acquisition of nearly 257 acres at Pōhākea, also known as Māʻalaea Mauka, for $8.22 million, as a forest reserve to protect the watershed and prevent massive erosion from damaging Māʻalaea Bay.

Crews with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources finished clearing the public parking areas of Kahului Boat Harbor by removing more than five dozen vehicles, many of them abandoned. Last week, efforts to cleanup the harbor got underway with the removal of debris.

Nalu’s South Shore Grill owner, Ron Panzo was honored as the winner of the US Small Business Administration’s (SBA) 2024 Hawaiʻi State Small Business Person of the Year award. This award acknowledges outstanding achievements and contributions of small businesses across Hawaiʻi and the nation.

After 175 days, the Lahaina Strong group announced its end to the occupation of Kāʻanapali Beach as part of its Fishing for Dignified Housing initiative.

Gov. Josh Green, M.D. signed Senate Bill 582 into law on Thursday, allocating $385.4 million in emergency appropriations to support relief efforts on Maui, following the Aug. 8, 2023 wildfires. This funding package includes provisions to assist efforts by the state and the County of Maui to support families and individuals impacted by the August 2023 wildfires, as well as bolstering the state’s One ʻOhana Fund. 

Thousands of short-term vacation rental apartments could begin switching to long-term housing for residents as early as July 1, 2025, for West Maui, and Jan. 1, 2026, for the rest of Maui County in a proposed measure announced today by Mayor Richard Bissen.

Hawaiʻi Community Lending announces a new Lahaina Homeowner Recovery Program. This three-year program will assist up to 500 owner-occupant Lahaina homeowners prevent foreclosure and qualify for financing to rebuild their homes.

The County of Maui filed a third-party complaint on Wednesday in the Circuit Court of the Second Circuit, State of Hawaiʻi, against Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile US, Spectrum Mobile, and AT&T related to the August 2023 Maui wildfires.

The state of Hawai‘i and its partners broke ground and held a Hawaiian blessing ceremony Tuesday for a Ka Laʻi Ola, a 450-unit temporary housing project in Lahaina to help displaced wildfire survivors who’re ineligible for aid by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

A family of four from Lahaina received keys on Tuesday to the very first home at the new Ke Ao Maluhia development at Maui Lani in Kahului. The development will serve as interim housing for Maui wildfire survivors. Located near the intersection of Pu‘umakani and Kea St., the project is a collaborative effort between the state of Hawai‘i, Maui County, the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation, the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, FEMA, and the American Red Cross. The first phase, set to be completed in June, includes 34 homes. An additional 16 homes will be completed in July, for a total of 50 units.

“We cannot pretend that we are still in the wake of a smoldering burn zone, and any roof over anyone’s head is an acceptable alternative. We are too far from that moment to not think about what is happening to the island of Maui, its economy and its people,” said Sen. Schatz.

Last year, over 56,000 wildfires burned 2.6 million acres, destroying over 4,300 home and commercial structures across the United States, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. None were as catastrophic as the Lahaina wildfire on Aug. 8, 2023, which included over 2,300 residences destroyed on Maui.

University of Hawai‘i Maui College has received a stunning art collection titled “Maui Sugar – the Twilight Years.” The gift, totaling 39 works, comes from long-time Kā‘anapali resident Jo Rockwell. Her prized collection is comprised of paintings by local artists and is believed to be the largest private collection of “sugar art.”

The proposed facility would consist of up to seven telescopes enclosed in domes that would be constructed on a developed site adjacent to the Haleakalā Observatory and the 15th Space Surveillance Squadron Maui Space Surveillance Complex.

A portion of remote county roadway at Alelele Point near Mile Marker 39 will be closed to all traffic, with the exception of emergency vehicles, between 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday starting May 1, 2024, due to an emergency slope repair project on the makai side of the road, according to a County of Maui Department of Public Works announcement today. The road closure is expected to last five months, the department said. Alelele Point is located on the southeast side of Maui and connects Kaupō and Kīpahulu.

As Maui residents look ahead to rebuilding after the devastation of the August wildfires, there’s another danger awaiting them — fraudulent construction contractors.

The federal disaster center at the Lahaina Civic Center is moving to Hyatt Regency, and a state resource center will open at Royal Lahaina Resort in the coming days.

The Board of Land and Natural Resources increased a fine against the owners and operator of the luxury yacht, Nakoa, to $1,818,85.97 on Friday, to account for biological and cultural damages, as well as “emotional distress to the community.”

The Ka La‘i Ola interim housing development for wildfire survivors in West Maui received a significant boost today as the Hawai‘i Community Foundation through its Maui Strong Fund, announced a $40 million grant to local nonprofit HomeAid Hawai‘i.

Mayor Richard Bissen and Managing Director Josiah Nishita updated Maui County Council members Thursday morning on the status of the county’s request for state funding to help with the staggering costs of rebuilding infrastructure destroyed in the Aug. 8-9 wildfires disaster.